Design your organisational structure
All Queensland public service agencies should consider designing a responsive organisational structure aligned to strategic direction and encourage more streamlined and effective decision-making processes across government, which will ultimately deliver better outcomes for Queenslanders.
The organisational design workforce perspective graphic illustrates the concept and benefits of reshaping public service organisations.
Key design principles
Strategic alignment to customer-focused service delivery (customers first)
- responds to the strategic priorities of government
- aligns to the strategic direction and service delivery priorities of the agency
- enables the agency to effectively and efficiently deliver services that matter to the Queensland community.
Responsiveness and flexibility (cohesive systems)
- foster professionalism and partnerships
- leverage the capability and capacity of all staff
- support streamlined, sustainable workplace processes
- reduce red tape to ensure the timely delivery of quality services to customers.
Accountability, empowerment and effective decision making (unleashing potential)
- establishing a clear understanding of role responsibilities and performance expectations
- reducing duplication
- minimising layers of leadership and management.
Collaborative and productive workplaces (inclusive approach)
- cooperative governance approaches that enable staff to work across boundaries
- fostering learning, innovation and knowledge sharing across the agency.
Design map
The Organisational design map outlines the 4 key stages of organisational design:
Consider
- Environment
- History
- Design principles
- Agency culture and values
- Current resources (capabilities and capacity)
Strategy
- Vision
- Strategic direction
- Core business model
- Future service delivery blueprint
Design
- Duplication of work
- Governance structures
- Delegations
- Responsiveness to change and active empowerment
- Managerial skill and prerogatives
- Considered risk taking
- Maximising spans of control or limiting organisational levels
- Greater use of technology
- Strategic alignment
- Horizontal information flow for local decision making
- Timely decisions
- Decentralised and centralised models—regional integration
Results:
- A responsive structure aligned to strategy
- Streamlined workplace practices and processes to drive improved performance and productivity
- Clear accountability and responsibilities
- Improved decision making processes
- Empowered leadership roles
